Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prasanth was taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) from his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, 23 July, as the Kerala High Court pressed the agency to accelerate its probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala temple artefacts. His detention marks a significant escalation in one of Kerala's most closely watched temple-corruption investigations.

Background to the Arrest

Prasanth, a former Congress leader who switched to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) following his defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections, was subsequently appointed president of the TDB — the statutory body that administers temples across south Kerala, including the famed Sabarimala shrine. The controversy around him surfaced during his tenure, when questions were raised over the restoration of the temple's Dwarapalaka (guardian) sculptures.

He is the third former TDB president linked to the case. Two others — both CPI(M) leaders — were arrested earlier and have since been released on bail. Investigators are also reportedly preparing to take two more members of the administrative team that functioned under Prasanth into custody.

State of the Investigation

The SIT has registered two separate cases relating to the alleged disappearance and misappropriation of gold from temple artefacts. Several accused were arrested but later secured statutory bail after the agency failed to file charge sheets within the prescribed period. One of the accused has since died.

Days before Prasanth's detention, the SIT informed the High Court that it would file the final report in one of the two cases within 30 days, stating that scientific examination of the temple artefacts had helped establish how the alleged offence was committed. The court has posted the matter for the next hearing on 3 September. The SIT is also reportedly considering registering a third case in connection with the matter.

What Prasanth Said Before His Arrest

Hours before being taken into custody, Prasanth published a lengthy post on Facebook in which he claimed he was being made an accused not for any wrongdoing, but for exposing an alleged 2019 gold theft at Sabarimala. 'What was our mistake in 2025?' he asked, asserting that his Board had acted honestly and transparently and had itself brought the 2019 theft to light.

He described the move against him as politically motivated and said he had anticipated his arrest. On the sculpture restoration, Prasanth maintained that the decision to send the Dwarapalaka statues to Chennai was taken solely to address ritual impurity caused by damaged sculptures that had allegedly injured temple staff during cleaning. He insisted the Devaswom suffered 'not even a single rupee' in loss, arguing that the weight and gold content of the restored sculptures had actually increased after reinstallation.

Administrative Lapse or Criminal Conspiracy?

Rejecting allegations of conspiracy, Prasanth contended that the failure to inform the Special Commissioner before the sculptures were shifted was an administrative lapse by officials — not a Board-level decision. He also claimed it was his Board that submitted the 2019 records to the High Court and later handed over all documents sought by the SIT, which he argued was what ultimately brought the alleged gold scam to light.

Investigators have not publicly responded to these claims. With the High Court maintaining pressure on the SIT and a third case under consideration, the legal proceedings are expected to intensify in the weeks ahead.